STOCKTON - An inconsistent nonconference performance has left the Pacific men's basketball team a bit of a mystery heading into Big West Conference play.

The Tigers (6-6) visit Long Beach State at 4 p.m. today after impressive wins over Xavier, Saint Mary's, USF and Nevada, and blowout losses at Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in the first two months of the season. Coach Bob Thomason is confident his team can compete for the conference crown in his 25th and final season at his alma mater, but only if it develops more consistency.

"I've seen us play really well and also play really bad, but our bottom line hasn't been that bad," Thomason said. "But now we have to be ready for the intensity of every game and how meaningful they are and how it comes down to every play. I don't know if we'll be favored in any of our conference road games, so we need to play well to win."

The Tigers are 0-3 on the road but did win two of three at the DirecTV Classic on a neutral court in Anaheim. Improvement will have to be immediate for Pacific, as it will visit UC Davis on Jan. 5 before its home opener against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 10.

Coach Dan Monson's 49ers (4-7) are the defending Big West champions, but he lost four key seniors, including conference player of the year Casper Ware, to graduation. Long Beach State will add three transfers during conference play, but Monson said his team has not performed up to expectations so far, despite nice play from senior wing James Ennis (16.9 points per game, 7.7 rebounds), senior point guard Mike Caffey (10.5 points, 4.5 assists) and junior transfer forward Dan Jennings (11 points, 6.9 rebounds).

"I'm very concerned because we're not a very good basketball team," Monson said. "It's been a tougher transition than we, the coaches, even imagined. Hopefully, the added depth will give us some accountability."

Pacific's balanced attack has been led by senior point guard Lorenzo McCloud, who's averaging 12.3 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field, including 41.7 from beyond the 3-point arc.

"In the Big West, any team can beat any other team; we know that," McCloud said. "Every game is going to be tough, so you have to really focus and grind it out."

Thomason's rotation will feature only two newcomers to conference play in starting shooting guard Sama Taku (7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds) and backup center Tony Gill (4.8 points). Both have been playing better the past two weeks and will be asked to make important contributions along with returners Colin Beatty (3.8 points, 3.5 rebounds), Ross Rivera (9.9 points), Travis Fulton (7.8 points) and Khalil Kelley (5.8 points) on the front line and Rodrigo De Souza as the third guard (4.4 points).